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It's hardly a secret that there is no scarcity or drought in regards to the availability of educational content in the areas of social media and online marketing these days. Everywhere you look there is a resource or expert sharing information you can read, watch, download or listen to - the Internet is filled with people who are ready to share (or sell) you their knowledge. But not all information is created equally, and you, dear biz owner, do not have time (P.S. time = money) to spend searching for or engaging with content that isn't worth your while. To help you cut through all the noise we've created a list of excellent experts and content providers that we love and trust - and read and learn from ourselves. As business owners we have to do a couple of things regularly in order to grow and thrive: build buzz, "sell ourselves" and our brand stories, and connect with people on and offline. The people and websites below are going to make that easier, faster and quite frankly, more enjoyable for you to do. Let's meet them!
Savvy Sexy Social & Founder Amy Schmittauer
Amy's "marketing lifestyle vlog" serves up social media and online marketing advice with a side of sassiness and humor, in an engaging and easy to follow style and voice. Her blogs and vlogs cover must-know topics in a clear and concise way and her mission is to remind business owners "Marketing isn’t just a department in your company (or for many of you, that naughty item on your to do list). It’s a lifestyle. How you present yourself, run your business, talk to your connections, share your ideas, live your dream. It’s your culture and it’s all marketing." If you need to master YouTube, podcasting or social media tools and tricks - whether you're just dipping your toe in or have been in "socializing" for years - we recommend you sign up for her newsletter, watch some her of her vlogs and fall for her style and content just like we have!
Contently
To know us is to know that we love teaching business owners the power fo brand storytelling! One of best ways to do that is via well thought out and created content, and content marketing. Now how do you become a master at content creation and marketing? By studying the "content craft" and by learning from the examples of companies big and small who are doing it and doing it well! When we need a dose of each of these, we head on over to The Content Strategist by Contently, which is packed with trustworthy, quality articles and case studies covering everything from brand storytelling and publishing to eBooks to content distribution and marketing. Another must for all of you trying to raise your content game? Be sure to follow Contently's Twitter feed which is not only engaging and informative, but also home to online Q & A sessions on content strategy that anyone can participate in!
HubSpot
If you were on our live #TuneUp webinar this week you heard me mention HubSpot when I was discussing the best and worst times to post on different social media platforms. I was able to share this information (and understand it myself thanks to an easy to follow infographic) thanks to HubSpot and their Inbound Marketing Blog. The company itself creates tools, content, training, and services that help companies do a better job at attracting more customers, eyeballs, leads and engagement to their websites. Let's admit it, the way we do business in this online world has changed, and not all of us have mastered this new way of doing it. As HubSpot themselves say, "The problem is that there’s a fundamental mismatch between how organizations are marketing and selling their offerings — and the way that people actually want to shop and buy." Enter HubSpot, who regularly provide great insight into the art of this specific type of attraction. So where do you start on their site? We recommend you get hip to these three places:
- Their packed-with-awesome content & lessons blog
- The HubSpot Academy
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Their Twitter Feed (don't miss any freebies or great articles as they happen).
Gary Vaynerchuck
These days, one cannot talk about social media without also talking about Gary Vaynerchuck. I had the pleasure of hearing him speak years ago when social media was still a "new thing" for most businesses, and within minutes I was ready to dive head first into multiple platforms that up until that day I thought were "for college students and techies. Fast forward at least five or six years and I remain loyal to this entrepreneur, author and true social media expert who doesn't just talk the talk, but runs his own multi-million dollar e-commerce business as well as an agency that works in the social media and digital content creation world. I love Gary because like so many of us "hustlers" out there, he has no time for BS, he doesn't fill his information sessions with padding or fluff, and he is oh so generous with his knowledge. Gary recently launched his online #AskGaryVee show providing one more way to engage and learn with him from the comfort of your own office, home or (ahem) couch. Tap into his blog here, the gateway to all his goodies, and get ready for one energetic, info-packed ride...
Ah, who else do I love for buzz building content of all kinds...US!
At Tin Shingle all we do all day long (well beyond engaging and connecting with small biz owners like you) is think of new ways to educate you, inspire you and make your social media, PR and online marketing easier to understand and execute! We've worked in these industries for years, as have the teams of experts we cultivated who share articles, classes and more with our community on a weekly basis.
Dive into our blog, expert articles, tip sheets, podcasts and more and watch your confidence and skills grow and flourish! It happens to small biz owners like you on a regular basis. You don't just have to take our word for it! Just look at what they tell us and tweet to us!
